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UK takes position on Nigeria’s 2027 election
As the 2027 general elections draw closer, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, has taken a definite position.
Contrary to rumours in some quarters, Lever said the British government does not have any preferred candidate in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
She further said that the British government would not interfere in the conduct of the elections, stressing that the country would be interested in free, peaceful, and credible elections. Lever stated this in Ilorin while paying a courtesy visit to the Kwara state governor and Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at Government House, Ilorin.
The Deputy British High Commissioner Lever was on a three-day official visit to Kwara State.
She said the British Government would support free, peaceful, and credible elections in Nigeria next year, adding that Downing Street has no favourite political party and will not be seen interfering in local political matters.
“The British Government would support a free, peaceful, and credible election in Nigeria next year,” she said.
“Downing Street has no favourite political party and will not be seen interfering in local political matters.
“We all want to see elections that are peaceful, that are inclusive, and that are credible, with space for participation and with respect for institutions.”
The British envoy added, “The British government, as you’ll understand, Excellency, is entirely neutral. We do not favour one party or another, and we would never be in the business of telling Nigerian people how to vote.
“But peaceful and credible elections, of course, are not only a democratic objective. This is not only about the Commonwealth values and the values of democracy that we’ve long shared; they’re also an economic objective or imperative as well,” she stressed.
In his response, the state governor, AbdulRazaq, said his administration has turned around the fortunes of the state, with significant progress made in different sectors of the economy.
“We have made significant progress in different sectors of the economy: from health, education, agriculture, and road infrastructure. When we came in 2019, things just weren’t working in the state.
“From backlogs of pensions and gratuities to payment of half-salaries to the blacklist of Kwara by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC),” he said, countering earlier narratives by some opposition elements.
“When we came in, 99% of schools did not have WASH facilities and no fencing of schools; teachers were, in fact, owed months in salary arrears. Today, we are up-to-date in investment in basic education with payment of counterpart funds to the UBEC.
“We have expanded access to education and healthcare, and we are making prompt payment of salaries as well as improving the welfare of the workforce. We have cleared the backlog of salaries we met. In fact, we are planning to raise the minimum wage again this year to N100,000.”
AbdulRazaq explained that his administration’s investment in education and health sectors has yielded positive results with improved ratings of the sectors and expansion of access to education and health care delivery.
“We have expanded access to university education with the completion of two campuses of KWASU in Kwara North and South. Then, by the time we leave office by 2027, Kwara will have five teaching hospitals to bridge the shortage of manpower in the health sector,” AbdulRazaq said.
On agriculture, the governor said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is encouraging farming activities, and the state has established a Shea processing factory in Kaiama, which will be the second largest in Nigeria when it becomes operational.
He also spoke extensively on security issues, breaking down the efforts of the state government with other stakeholders to stem breaches and make rural communities safer.
Lever’s team also visited the Kwara state First Lady, Okufolake AbdulRazaq, in her office in Ilorin.
Thousands of dignitaries from across the world gathered in the Republic of Benin on Sunday, March 24, 2026, to witness the inauguration of President Ramona Wadagni, with prominent Niger Delta monarch, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakar Dokubo-Asari, among the notable guests at the historic ceremony.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, has urged Nigerian entrepreneurs and startups to take advantage of emerging opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as discussions continue at the 2026 Biashara Africa summit.
Biashara Africa 2026, regarded as one of the continent’s leading trade and investment platforms, brought together policymakers, business leaders, financial institutions and trade facilitators to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and deepen intra-African trade.
Speaking in her capacity as the Incoming Chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, Dr. Oduwole challenged African leaders and policymakers to move beyond policy commitments and address the practical barriers hindering trade and investment across the continent.
She also commended Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, and the Government of Togo for what she described as decisive actions advancing the vision of the AfCFTA and strengthening Africa’s ambition of building an integrated market of more than 1.4 billion people.
As part of efforts to drive implementation of the continental trade pact, the minister announced the launch of the AfCFTA Startup Acceleration Programme 2026, a flagship initiative under the AfCFTA–Korea Africa Foundation partnership.
According to her, the programme is designed to support 30 high-potential African startups seeking to expand beyond the continent and access international markets, particularly South Korea.
Dr. Oduwole explained that the initiative presents significant opportunities for Nigerian startups operating in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, manufacturing and digital platforms to strengthen their operations, scale internationally and position themselves for cross-border growth.
“The future of the AfCFTA will not be built by policy alone. It will be driven by enterprises, innovators, manufacturers, digital platforms and entrepreneurs who are ready to trade,” she said.
The minister, who also serves as Co-Champion of Digital Trade under the AfCFTA, encouraged eligible Nigerian startups to apply for the programme through SME.Support@au-afcfta.org before the application deadline of May 24, 2026.
She further noted that Africa’s economic integration drive had recorded another major milestone with the announcement by the Government of Togo removing visa requirements for African passport holders and investors travelling to the country for short stays.
According to her, the policy signals that Africa is gradually transitioning from regional aspirations to concrete action aimed at promoting trade, investment and movement across borders.
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